Always Right Match Committee Thread Round 16, Vs Geelong

[mjp]

If you are dropped for poor performance, well, it means you have things to work on.
If you are dropped for team balance, it means you have things to work on (otherwise someone else would have been dropped for team balance).

I refuse to believe any player who is left out isn't given details as to WHY they have been left out and what they need to improve. And I further refuse to believe that that message wouldn't be consistent from the footy manager to the development coaches.

It's OK to be dropped - it really is. I am sure when he is ready to go he will be back in. I can't explain why he didn't play VFL in his first week out - who can apart from Bevo? - but I am sure he is working off a development plan...

[Rocco Jones]

It's OK to be dropped - it really is. I am sure when he is ready to go he will be back in. I can't explain why he didn't play VFL in his first week out - who can apart from Bevo? - but I am sure he is working off a development plan...

Only thing I can think of is that he was the 23rd guy picked. Bevo wanted the next best available.

[The Pie Man]

Going to take a stab that Cavarra won't debut yet - surely they would've announced that already.

[S Coast Simon]

Williams to move back to replace Daniel and then Maclean comes into the bench. Would love to see Williams delivering 55m passes through the middle on Saturday. This is one game I would like to see Naughton go back onto Hawkins. Trengove to the bench and resting forward when not rucking. Instruct the boys to be lowering their eyes and hitting up hard leads in the forward line. Not sure what Hansen is doing this year but it kills me how many times out forwards are all standing around in equal amounts of space waiting for the kick to come in to see if they should have a go at it or not. Hansen would have abused everyone if they got in his leading path when he played. They should all be on the move blocking and making space for each other. Every other team seems to do it to us till someone opens up a little hole. We need kickers that can see where it needs to be in 3 seconds.

[Axe Man]

Williams to move back to replace Daniel and then Maclean comes into the bench. Would love to see Williams delivering 55m passes through the middle on Saturday. This is one game I would like to see Naughton go back onto Hawkins. Trengove to the bench and resting forward when not rucking. Instruct the boys to be lowering their eyes and hitting up hard leads in the forward line. Not sure what Hansen is doing this year but it kills me how many times out forwards are all standing around in equal amounts of space waiting for the kick to come in to see if they should have a go at it or not. Hansen would have abused everyone if they got in his leading path when he played. They should all be on the move blocking and making space for each other. Every other team seems to do it to us till someone opens up a little hole. We need kickers that can see where it needs to be in 3 seconds.

Trengove is a good match for Hawkins, I would leave that be.

We are third in the league for marks inside 50, spotting up forward targets is not high on the list of issues we face. A much bigger problem is we are number 1 for marks conceded to the opposition inside their forward 50.

[bornadog]

In Mclean
out Daniel

[GVGjr]

In Mclean
out Daniel

I think he was the only option. I'll be interested to see how we might use Richards this week

[ratsmac]

Out - Daniel

In - McLean

I'm still not sure why McLean was dropped in the first place. It mustn't have been to work on his forward craft because 30 possessions in the VFL sounds like he played in the midfield and not forward. While he hasn't reached the heights of his 2018 form he is still a quality player. Anyway a run in the two's has helped get others back into alignment in the past so let's just hope it is exactly what Toby needed.

I think he is a logical in unless selection hinges on a specific match up the MC are after. So it's just the one change for me.

I'm keen to get a look at Cavarra but I'd like to see him string some decent form together and not just the one good game.

Nailed it!!! First time ever under Bevo. It must be a sign that we are going to win. And by a lot.

[merantau]

Our team this week comprises just 9 of the 22 who played in the Premiership win. We need to keep that in mind when assessing team performance. Are we now less experienced than the Premiership team? I think we are for sure.

[Danjul]

Our team this week comprises just 9 of the 22 who played in the Premiership win. We need to keep that in mind when assessing team performance. Are we now less experienced than the Premiership team? I think we are for sure.

How experienced was the premiership team? I thought we were told it was inexperienced.

[bornadog]

How experienced was the premiership team? I thought we were told it was inexperienced.

Just checked - the 2016 premiership team had an average of 82 games, and so does this weeks team. Geelong BTW have 125 games average. Geelong are actually not well balanced with 8 players less than 50 games (same as us), but have 9 players over 150 games, which means not much in the middle ie 50 to 150. We have 3 players with more than 150.

[Hotdog60]

If we can get over the Cats I can see this game being one of those pivotal games that will shape how the rest of our season goes.

Even a narrow loss but with all the right KPIs will have an influence.

[Eastdog]

How experienced was the premiership team? I thought we were told it was inexperienced.

Yes we were one of the more younger premiership sides.

[BornInDroopSt'54]

Our team this week comprises just 9 of the 22 who played in the Premiership win. We need to keep that in mind when assessing team performance. Are we now less experienced than the Premiership team? I think we are for sure.

Ha ha. A bit of a double negative that begs a negative answer. Yes we are less experienced than 2016.

[Axe Man]

What Toby needs to do to stay in the team

WESTERN Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has demanded more influence from Toby McLean after the premiership forward forced his way back in for Saturday night's clash against Geelong.

Dropped after playing the first 12 games this season, McLean delivered a sparkling best-on-ground performance last week in the VFL to earn a recall for the Marvel Stadium battle.

The 23-year-old's output has dropped from 23.9 disposals a game last year to just 17.3 this year, having been asked to return to a more permanent forward role.

Now, with several key injuries, Beveridge hinted at McLean receiving more midfield minutes against the Cats.

"It's (the message to McLean) one of praise, initially, it's a difficult thing to digest when you get omitted," Beveridge said on Friday morning.

"Toby over the course of time has been an important player for us (but) we think he can be more influential than he has been.

"The challenge for Tobes is to be that player that really forces the issue and ensures that we win more games than we lose, and he's more than capable of that.

"The way he played last week for Footscray indicated that he took the news of the omission on board, and accepted it, and played really well as a midfielder.

"With Tom Liberatore and Mitch Wallis out of the team, there are some opportunities in that midfield area and Toby will probably spend more time in there this time around."

McLean replaces injured defender Caleb Daniel with Beveridge identifying Matt Suckling, Ed Richards and Bailey Williams as contenders to assume his role as chief distributor across half-back.

The Dogs face Geelong just seven weeks after allowing the Cats their highest score of the season (133) in the 44-point loss at GMHBA Stadium.

"We've reflected on that game when we played them and identified what our vulnerabilities were," he said.

"We've been a bit vulnerable defensively (this season) and we gave up too much score last time against them.

"We were able to score a bit down there at Kardinia Park, which is a good sign for us, but we'll need to minimise that scoreline for them this time around."

Despite Geelong being unchanged, Beveridge said he was anticipating emergency Gary Rohan to be a late inclusion for the Cats.



Dangerfield in some doubt, could be a late out for Rohan?